ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 83 



back of your specimens is considerably darker than in Massachusetts 

 birds, and lacks the sprinkling of the yellowish feathers ; the mark- 

 ings on the breast are much finer and less conspicuous in your 

 specimens, and the stripe under the [eye is invariably yellow in 

 Massachusetts specimens. In fact, your birds are considerably dif- 

 ferent at a glance, and if they are typical of the Illinois bird I should 

 think they represent a well-marked variety." Mr. Nelson's reply, 

 received at the same time, is equally to the point : " The speci- 

 men of D. palmarum came to hand this morning. There is a great 

 difference in intensity of coloration between this specimen and any 

 I have seen or taken here, the one from Baltimore showing much 

 brighter and purer yellow on the under parts, while the crown and 

 spots on the breast are much clearer and brighter chestnut. I do 

 not remember ever taking a specimen here in which the markings 

 on the breast were so few, and confined to the sides, western speci- 

 mens having the streaks extending uniformly across instead of hav- 

 ing a nearly immaculate space between the two clusters of spots at 

 the bend of the wing. As to fall specimens, the only observable 

 difference is that they are much duller in color, more like the female 

 of Perissoglossa tigrina." Mr. A. L. Kumlien, of Busseyville, Wis- 

 consin, an experienced collector and accurate observer, examined 

 the series with me, and stated his belief that no such specimens as 

 those before him from the Atlantic States ever occurred in Wiscon- 

 sin, and was positive he had never seen similar ones from that por- 

 tion of the country. 



The following are the specific characters of Dendrceca palmarum, 

 and the diagnoses of the two subspecies, or geographical races : — 



Common (specific) Characters. — No distinct bands on wing-coverts. 

 Inner webs of* two outer tail-feathers with large terminal patch of white. 

 Crissum clear yellow. Adult : Below more or less yellow, the sides of 

 breast streaked ; a yellow or whitish superciliary stripe. Pileum uniform 

 chestnut in spring and summer, or brownish streaked with dusky in fall 

 and winter, but usually with more or less of chestnut beneath the surface. 

 Above nearly uniform olive, becoming brighter, more yellowish-green, on 

 rump and edges of tad-feathers. Young : Above dull grayish, streaked 

 everywhere with dusky ; below dirty whitish, tinged with yellow, the 

 throat, breast, and sides heavily streaked with dusky ; wing-coverts slightly 

 tipped with buff. Wing, 2.35 - 280. 



Subspecific Characters. 



Subsp. palmarum. — Wing, 2.35 - 2.65 (2.52) ; tail, 2.05 - 2.45 (2.24) ; 

 bill, from nostril, .27 -.32 (.29) ; tarsus, .71 - .80 (.76). Yellow of lower 



